Entire Jewish Community of South Africa Goes into Mourning for Field Marshal Smuts

September 15, 1950

JOHANNESBURG (Sep. 14)

The entire Jewish community of South Africa was thrown into gloom and mourning this Rosh Hashanah over the death of Field Marshal Jan Christian Smuts, former Prime Minister of the Union, long-time friend of the Jews and outspoken proponent of Zionism. The Board of Deputies of South African Jews and the South African Zionist Federation sent messages of condolence to Marshal Smuts’ family.

Chief Rabbi A. Rabinowitz cancelled the customary High Holiday sermon in the Great Synagogue of Johannesburg and preached instead a memorial for Marshal Smuts. At Temple Shalom, Rabbi M.C. Weiler, leader of Reform Judaism in South Africa, also preached a memorial service for the Marshal.

(Joseph Sprinzak, Israel Acting President, and Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett cabled messages of condolence to the Smuts family and to the government and people of South Africa. In London the Board of Deputies of British Jews cabled its condolences to Mrs. Smuts.)